The Secret Life Of Bees Character Analysis

838 Words4 Pages
The Beauty Behind the Madness - Dealing with Adolescence The most important time of our lives is our teenage years. Throughout our teenage years, we are learning, growing physically and mentally, and maturing. During one’s teenage years, the individual is changing from a child into an adult, also known as adolescence. Growth and maturity are the two most important effects of adolescence. Often teen novels are related to growth and adolescence because they are about teens that are growing up and dealing with adolescence. Throughout the novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily Owens demonstrates dealing with adolescence in a unique way. Three ways in which Lily grows and matures throughout the novel are through the loss of her mother…show more content…
Due to an argument, a gun was pulled during the feud between Lily's mother, Deborah and her father, T.Ray. The weapon fell on the ground when suddenly the four year old picked it up and unknowingly shot her mother dead. Lily reminds herself constantly throughout the novel that she is the reason for her mother’s death, making statements such as “This is what I know about myself. She was all I wanted. And I took her away.” (Kidd 8). Later in the story, Lily comes to realize that Deborah was leaving her husband and young daughter. Out of sorrow for herself, Lily states, “I could understand her leaving him. But leaving me? This would sink me forever.” (Kidd 40). Throughout the entire novel, Lily struggles with coping the tragic loss of her mother. This loss has an extreme effect on how Lily grows and matures because a young woman always needs her mother, especially through the many stages of adolescence. Lily preceded her entire childhood without her mother and has conflicts when growing up without Deborah there for her. This life experience impacts the way Lily grows and matures throughout the novel. It allows her to grow and mature at a very young age because she must learn how to live without her mother by her side. Lily is constantly reminded of her mother and is constantly missing
Open Document